It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post a blog on here, but that is testament to the hard work that we have all been doing. I have been meaning to post on here for ages, but everytime I get to a computer, there are other things I need to work on instead. Still, now that things are starting to quieten down for the summer, I thought I’d write a blog highlighting our success through 2013 and 2014.
2013 Hull Pride was an amazing event as usual, and we found lots of support for our PHSE petition. Everyone who signed said how they felt it was important, and in light of the current enquiry being made by the Secretary of State for Education, we couldn’t have chosen a more perfect time to carry out the petition. We will shortly be handing in over 700 signatures to Hull North MP Diana Johnson, and we hope the committee will take notice.
Our campaign on the vile practice of so called “gay to straight CONversion therapy” remains ongoing, and in January 2014, a debate was held in Westminster Hall regarding the matter following the petition from 2012 being presented last July (2013), but once again, the government stopped short of enacting a ban, instead they merely condemned the practice. How on Earth they can justify this is beyond belief, it’s almost as though they’re saying “we don’t want you to do this, and as professionals, you should know better, but feel free to go ahead and wreck lives all the same, we’ll not stand in your way”.
Just recently, our focus has once again been broadened, by an incident that took place right on our own doorsteps in Hull. A man in his 30’s was set upon by the banks of the Humber for simply walking out of the Fuel nightclub to set off home earlier that evening. The thugs (Jamie Norris and Callum Crosby) attempted to befriend their victim as he walked home, and by the time they had walked to the river bank, things had started to turn a little nasty. It became apparent to the victim that these people were not friends at all, instead proceeding to hurl homophobic abuse at him, before attempting to rob him, finally pushing him into the river when their attempt failed. The pair then went and bragged about what they had done, whilst covered in mud, at a nearby take away, boasting to a cashier there that they had just thrown a man into the river for being gay, and they weren’t sure if he was dead or not. She alerted the authorities. The victim of this crime found himself stranded, stuck in a mud bank by the river on a cold January night, unable to free himself, but thankfully managed to get his mobile phone out, alerting the authorities himself and was rescued. You don’t need me to tell you what the outcome of this incident could have been.
The incident wasn’t reported by the media until the case went to trial in May. The defendants were sentenced to 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 years in prison for “attempted robbery”. It is unclear whether or not the judge in this case had even considered the hate crime element, despite he himself saying that the only reason they chose their victim was because he was gay.
As a result of this massively lenient sentence, the network wishes to investigate whether hate crime legislation is working as it was intended, and to see what necessary changes need to be made. Whilst we’re on the subject, a heterosexual man in Leeds was in need of hospital treatment, and may need to permanently have a metal plate inside his head for the rest of his life, following a glass attack in one of the city’s gay bars. The assailant claimed to police that he thought his victim was going to “try it on with me, cos you know what gay guys are like”. He received a one year custodial sentence. Again, the punishment is not fitting of the crime.
All of the points the network has covered so far boil down to education. Why would someone be so desperate to change their sexuality? Simply because they are unaware how full a life they could lead, and how happy they can be just being themselves. Education you see. Where does the word “homophobia” come from? Well, a phobia is a fear, sometimes of the UNKNOWN, and if people grow up in ignorance, how are they expected to be anything else but fearful of other people’s differences? So it is vital that the government listen to our evidence that we have submitted to the Education Select Committee, and act to ensure that the next generation don’t grow up in ignorance. That is why our education campaign is so important, especially given the recent government reshuffle. It is without question (as far as I can see), that the rising popularity of UKIP has alarmed the government, forcing it to lurch to the right. Micheal Gove was unlikely to support our campaign anyway, and given Nicky Morgan’s voting history (I refer specifically to to the marriage: same sex couples act) it would appear more unlikely than ever that the government will listen. So this campaign is of the utmost importance.
Lastly, I’d like to salute the Hull and East Riding LGBT Forum. We have been attending their meetings, held monthly, for the last two and a half years, and they do some great work bringing LGBT matters to the fore locally. The forum recently held its AGM and it’s felt that it can only get stronger. The Hull and Esat Riding Labour LGBT Network will be helping them all the way.
Thanks for reading, keep in touch, and if you’d like to get involved, please drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you.
Danny :-D x